Daddy Day Care

What's the Plot?

Charlie (Eddie Murphy) and Phil (Jeff Garlin) are unsuccessfully trying to advertise a new product - a vegetable-based cereal called Veggie-O's. Whilst working on it non-stop, the 2 fathers are missing out on their kid's growing up: Charlie's 4 year old son Ben (Khamani Griffin) and Phil's son Max (Max Burkholder). However, that's all about to change when the 2 guys are fired from their jobs leaving them searching aimlessly for employment. When Charlie's wife, Kim (Regina King) goes back to work to pay the bills, Charlie is left with Ben. That's when he hits upon the idea of Daddy Day Care. If he and Phil can take care of their 2 kids, how hard could it be to take care of 10 children, and be paid for it? A lot harder! Each kid is different with different needs but they're ALL a handful. Despite the mess and the pain, they begin to connect with them, especially their own. When the word starts to get round just how good Daddy Day Care is, parents start to take their kids out of the exclusive Chapman Academy run by strict Miss Harridan (Anjelica Huston) and putting them into the over-run-but-fun competition. Hiring a fellow employee, Marvin (Steve Zahn), the 3 men decide to take on Miss Haridan who's trying to close them down.

The Review

Let's face it, it worked (to a degree) for Arnold Schwarzeneggar with Kindergarten Cop so it's no surprise that the formula of mis-placed adult being thrown in with kids has been ressurected. Although, nearly 10 years in the making, and putting the once foul-mouthed Murphy with them this time round is indeed an eye-brow raiser. This outing though, you can see the more PC atmosphere that has invaded not only Hollywood, but the world. There's no "bad guy" to capture, just someone trying to keep a roof over their heads and their family together.

Murphy, who seems to be going the dangerous route that Robin Williams took (until the likes of One Hour Photo and Insomnia), is floundering in the sea of non-challenging family flicks. Like Williams, the older members of the audience remember a time of un-controlable mayhem and you can't help but wonder what could have been committed to celluloid if they'd just let him loose from the PG rating. Essentially his movie, no one else gets a look in except the other funny cast member - Zahn - who does get to give it his best shot despite being cast as a Star Trek nerd !

Of course with a film relying heavily on children, if the kids aren't funny or cute, it doesn't matter what the "professional" adults do. Here, the kids are, if not top notch, then at least cute on que and hyper enough to be a handful when necessary. Griffin, as Murphy's son heads off the cute scale, but the issues that arise between the never-around-father and the adoring son are never resolved and are conveniently swept under the carpet. Fun for most members of the family, Daddy Day Care is a film that won't offend but won't over-stimulate either which is a missed opportunity. Shame really.

STEVE'S SCORE